The present invention generally relates to the field of hydroponics growing of plants that are root-nurtured, primarily without soil by a flowing liquid medium containing nutrients. More specifically, the present invention relates to hydroponics growing that has better water height control and protection against rainwater intrusion. Further, the present invention requires less solid growing media than other systems. The present invention also enables the sprouting of plant seeds, cuttings and the nurturing of seedlings. The modular design of the present invention allows configuration of the device in many arrangements improving the flexibility of the system to meet customer needs.
Other devices lose more water from the hydroponics medium to the surrounding indoor environment raising ambient humidity and changing the concentration of nutrients in the hydroponics medium; conversely, for outdoor growers, rainfall adversely affects the hydroponics medium by collecting in such other systems and diluting the medium. This requires medium and pH adjustment after each rainfall. Other hydroponics systems also require solid growing media or larger amounts of solid growing media, such as ALLIFLOR, HYDROTON and ROCKWOOL or others or a growing block that collect salts from various fertilizers and cause a pH imbalance at the root ball; these solid media also constitute an environmental disposal hazard.
The present invention overcomes these shortcomings by providing a system having a plurality of interconnected grotubes. Each grotube includes a main body or tube with a plurality of ports for attaching functional components. Of course, a grotube may be one main tube and one port or grow station. These functional components allow the sprouting and nurturing of seedlings; height control of the hydroponics medium or fluid in the grotube; allow better sealing of the tubes; allow nutrient addition from below or above the plant root system; allow connections between the tubes; provide removable planter baskets or strainers that use no or lesser amounts of ROCKWOOL slabs or growing blocks and solid growth supports such as clay pellets; and provide sealing plates that reduce the exchange of moisture out of or into the hydroponics system. The grotube and functional components are constructed of readily obtainable materials typically PVC or food grade PVC.